3-Star Hotels in California, United States

My wife and I visited Catalina Island for our 28th anniversary — our first time back since before we were married in 1997. We chose the Catalina Canyon Inn specifically for the pool, jacuzzi, on-site restaurant, and shuttle service. Their website is very nice and seemed like a perfect match for the occasion. Unfortunately, very little matched what was advertised. Shuttle: The shuttle was not waiting at the Catalina Express port when we arrived on the last ferry Saturday evening which was unexpected. Four of us were left waiting in the dark for about 20 minutes until the other couple called the hotel. The driver was friendly and apologized, but this set the tone for the weekend. The shuttle was consistently unreliable throughout our stay. They tell you to call the driver directly, but he often didn't answer. You'd end up having to call the hotel instead, and the shuttle only seemed to come after someone went inside and told the front desk in person. At one point we waited 45 minutes. Some guests got frustrated and just decided to walk, but the hotel sits at the top of a steep hill — not a realistic option, especially for older guests like us. Their website suggests the shuttle runs regularly, but that was far from our experience. Restaurant: We arrived at the restaurant at 7:30 PM Saturday and were turned away, even though their website says they're open until 8:00 PM. We had to rush down the hill to find dinner to-go in town before the shuttle stopped running at 8:45. It was a shame we didn't even have time to stay and eat on our anniversary or face having to trek up that hill. The next morning I mentioned this to the restaurant owner, who insisted they closed at 8:00 and that she was there. She then told us the restaurant closes at 2:00 PM on Sundays — so dinner there that night wasn't an option either. She was very friendly though I must say. On Monday we finally had breakfast before checkout. The food was mediocre and didn't match the glowing reviews at all. The prices were also odd — $12 for mozzarella sticks, $20 for nachos, but only $11 for pulled pork sliders, which you'd expect to be the pricier item. The pricing just didn't add up. While we were there, another couple was turned away at 1:30 PM because the restaurant closes from 2–4 on Mondays. We could feel their frustration. Jacuzzi: The jacuzzi we were looking forward to was covered up and converted into a gazebo with chairs. At first we couldn't find it but yea. No mention of this on the website. Room issues: The soap dispenser in the shower was empty. The front desk told us we can mention it to housekeeping, who didn't come until after 5:00 PM. We got the soap and a couple fresh towels. The towels themselves were thin and didn't dry well overnight so fresh ones were sorely needed to get at least one shower in with soap before we had to leave the next day. The TV didn't work at all, and the microwave was unplugged — though I was able to fix that myself. The hotel also doesn't offer complimentary coffee, which is standard at most hotels we've stayed at for half the price. The good: The staff was friendly, the bed was comfortable, the A/C worked well, and the balcony was a nice touch. The room was quiet. Bottom line: The website gives a very different impression than what you actually get. Between the unreliable shuttle, limited and unpredictable restaurant hours, missing amenities, thin towels, and no coffee, this was not the anniversary experience we hoped for. I'd recommend staying somewhere closer to downtown so you're not dependent on a shuttle and stuck with limited options. I think we need to redo our anniversary. It was a miss for sure.

The service was good, and breakfast was included and quite tasty. You could even make your own waffles at the Western-style buffet! Hotel parking was convenient, and it was easy to get to the airport. It's also very close to the car rental center, and you can directly access the highway to get to the city center.

Pretty good, and the location is great! It's really easy to find places to eat nearby, especially the Japanese restaurant right across the street. The room itself was spacious, just a bit old, but no other complaints.

I was very satisfied with the hotel, and I'd like to add some tips about transportation from the airport to the hotel. If there are four or fewer people traveling, taking the train is a good option, as the fare is $5.25 USD per person. If there are more than four of you, just use Uber. The hotel is very close to the airport. For our family of five, we booked a 6-seater car, which comfortably fit our three large suitcases, and it cost between $25-30 USD. The price varied slightly between our arrival and departure, but it was generally in that range.

We encountered several issues during our stay that significantly impacted our experience. On the first day, we had a minor disagreement with the housekeeping staff after requesting a second towel for our two-guest room, which had only been provided with one face towel. The cleaning staff member on the 4th floor argued with one of the guests rather than accommodating the simple request. The following day, we placed all used towels outside the door for collection, but no fresh towels were returned. When we inquired with another housekeeper, she explained that towels were likely still being laundered and might be available around 1 PM. We went fishing for the day and returned in the evening expecting to shower and clean up, but still had no towels. I reported the issue to the front desk, and ultimately we chose to leave approximately 20 hours early simply so we could go home and bathe. Despite this, we were charged the full rate for a room that had no air conditioning, no phone to contact the front desk, and where only 1 out of 5 ice machines was operational.

Close to the airport and a main road, the smoking area in the backyard offers views of the sunset and planes landing. There's a 24-hour McDonald's and a convenience store with a gas station right outside. The rooms are clean and, although the facilities are a bit old, they are relatively comfortable.

This stay exceeded my expectations! The hotel's location is fantastic, making it super convenient for getting around, dining, and shopping. The front desk staff were warm and courteous, and check-in/check-out was quick, with no long waits. The room was spotless, and the bedding was soft and comfortable – I slept soundly until morning. The bathroom had a great dry/wet separation, and the hot water was plentiful with stable pressure. All the facilities were excellent; the AC and WiFi worked perfectly, and the soundproofing was good – I barely heard any noise from the hallway or outside the window. The breakfast had a wide variety of delicious options and offered great value for money. Overall, the service was thoughtful and attentive. I'll definitely choose this hotel again for my next trip. Highly recommended! **[Concise Review for Quick Sharing]** Clean room, excellent service, convenient location, full amenities, great soundproofing for a peaceful sleep, amazing value. Fantastic stay, highly recommend!

Great location, amazing price, horrendous service. Receptionist (male Indian from Gujarat) is extremely rude and disrespectful. He should be fired. I was here for a few days, and then all of a sudden he said he wouldn’t let me extend my stay. Gave no explanation whatsoever, and then began raising his voice and threatening to call the cops. The hostel itself was decent, but this irascible Indian receptionist made me regret ever booking a room there. He should be fired and never be given a job that requires relating with people.

This hotel feels very good, the layout and facilities of the hotel are very atmospheric, the service attitude is very good, the surrounding environment is also good, supermarkets, restaurants, and transportation are very convenient.